Curve cutter



Sept. 16, 1930.' v, v, COLBY 1,775,513

CURVE CUTTER Filed Oct, 29. 1928 [12 venfor -M W 53! M W, Affo ngysPatented Sept. 16, 1930 VINCENT V. COLBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CURVECUTTER Application filed October 29, 1928.

This invention relates to cutting devices, and more particularly to adevice for cutting curves of various sorts, particularly compound andirregular curves.

It is possible, by mounting a cutting blade for free turning movementand disposing it to engage the work at a point eccentric to the axis onwhich the blade turns, to cut curves of various characters. During thecutting operation, the blade, due to its eccentric mounting, trails thesupporting member or handle in which such blade is mounted so that theblade may be moved with facility along a line defining a pattern whichit is desired to cut. I have found, however, that it is important, toassure accuracy and ease in the cutting operation to support the bladein such manner that it will be disposed perpendicular to the work at alltimes during the cutting operation.

By thus supporting the blade, itwillreadily turn or swivel so as tofollow with ease the curves of intricate patterns and will cut thematerial or work much more readily than if J the blade were not thusheld.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a cutting deviceof the character stated of simple construction and operation in whichthe blade is held perpendicular to the work and is supported in suchmanner as to be readily movable thereover in all directions. A furtherobject is to provide means Whereby the blade can be readily adjusted soas to vary its angular relation tothe work and can be renewed whendesired at small cost. Further objects and advantages will appear fromthe detailed description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective View illustrating the manner of using a cuttingdevice constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the handle, the blade and the holdertherefor being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on 7 line 33 of Fig. 1;

v Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

I have illustrated my invention, in Fig. 1,

Serial No. 315,670.

as used for cutting various designs in a sheet 1 of paper or othermaterial.

Preferably this sheet is supported upon a glass plate 2 which rests upona table 3. The provision of the glass plate 2 is not essential but Iprefer to utilize this plate as it prevents injury to the cutting edgeof the blade such as would be apt to occur if the sheet 1 were supportedupon wood or other material of like character into which the blade wouldenter after cutting through the sheet.

The cutting device comprises a hand piece or handle 4 bored out from itslower end for reception of a neck 5 which extends upwardly from a head6, this head being slotted or bifurcated. The head and the neckconstitute a holder for the cutting blade. The upper end of neck 5 isrounded as at 5 and abuts the inner end of the bore which receives thisneck, the inner end of this bore being preferably normal to the axisthereof, as illustrated. The neck 5 is provided with a circumferentialgroove 7 which receives the inner end of a retaining screw 8 threadedthrough handle a. The blade holder is thus mounted in handle 4 in suchmanner as to have free turning movement on the axis of the handle.

A blade 9 is adjustably and rcmovably secured in head 6 by means of afinger 10 inserted through the slot of this head, and a securing screw11 threaded into the head transversely of the slot. The blade 9 includesthe body 12 of rhomboidal shape, finger 10 projecting from the upperinner corner of this body.

The lower edge 13 of the body is the cutting edge and is inclineddownwardly away from the holder, terminating in point 14:. This point isdisposed eccentric to the holder and is intended and adapted topenetrate the work and to provide a point of contact upon which theblade will readily turn or swivel to accommodate changes in directionthereof along the pattern being cut. The downward and outwardinclination of the cutting edge 13 relative to the holder is ofadvantage as producing a draw cut so that relatively thick material canbe cut with but little effort. By loosening the screw 11 the angularrelation of the blade to the work can be varied so as holder,constituting the cutter,' are held-pen pendicular to the work atalltimes and are supported in such manner" as to be readily movablethereover in all directions.

A supporting 'alldse'c'uring memberin'the "formfof a screw clamp 15"ofknown type is Secured to the edge of'table 3. I have found a screw clampconvenient as providing means *wher'eb my device can be readily attachedtoata'ble ofconve'ntional construction, but it will be understood thatany other suitable "or'"convenientnevicej for attaching thesupporting'rne'ansfto a tablejor like structure can f"be'emplo'yed.'I[-he"inember 15,is provided with a stud '16 projecting vertically fromthe 'jtop thereof. This stud is disposed perpen- Tdicular'to the upperface of table 3 and, con- 'sequ'ent'ly, to 'the'work 1.

*An arm 17 i's pro'vided, at itsends, with sleeves 118 and 19 which aredisposed parallel and "extend transversely of 'the'arm, The' "slee've'18fitssnugly about stud 16 for free tn'rning movement thereonand seatsu'oon a sleeve 19. This'collarpr'ovides means where- I havlng 1universal connection with the "other "'EOllar'QOatfthelower en'd'of thisstudf leeve 19 receives shank 21 depending from a yoke22,which'istransversely slotted from its upe'sh'ank21"'below'yoke 22, bymeans of a set' g v c 1 1 2.111 adevice of-the 'character described,

'perend. A bearing collar '23 is securedu'pon screw 24, and bears uponfthe'upper end 'of by'thefyoke 22 can'be adjusted vertically "if VTins-second arm is previded; 'at'its dither desired, and also providesaibearing for the sl1'ank"durin'g turning thereofin sleeve '19. A

" second arm "25 is pivot'ally secured, at 26, in yoke 22 andfits's'nugly in the slot of the oke so asto avoid any undesirableloos'eness or thereto, a handle at the otheren'd of the see ond arm andheld thereby parallel 'to theaxis 1 Pl yjend, with a sleeve '26extending transversely "fthere'ot and disposed parallel to sleeves 18*"and 19' ota'rm '17. This-sleeve 26' receives theupp'e'r "portionofhandle 4 whichis adjust-,1

it ably'secured inthi's-sleeve by a set screw 2? j Thef'connectionbetween the arms 17a'nd25 sfin "effect, a universal connection" which"permits movement of arm 25 "about "one axis ""='parallel to' stud-16amabout another axis'at.

*ri'ghtan'g'lestoshank 21. Since the arin17 has turningmovement aboutstud 16, the sup- -portingmeans is QfiSllCh character asto per *mitmovement orthe cutter" in all directions over the were "and thecombinedlength of To effect this result, I have the arms 17 and 25 issuflicient to permit cut ting of any figure of any size such as wouldordinarily be produced by a device of this character. I

Preferably, I provide a sleeve 28 of rubber or other suitable materialabout the lower portion of handle a to facilitate firm holding of thetool-*during use thereof. This sleeve "has been omitted in Fig. 2 forthe sake of clcarness, In using the device handle 4 is P grasped asirfFig; 1, so as to be held firmly,

andis-then moved over the work in such manner as to cause the cuttlngedge of blade 9 to follow accurately'the outline of the design orpattern being cut, as indicated. Due to the tact that'the handle 4 ismaintained pe'rpendicu'larl to the work at all times,-*e'ase andaccuracy in tracing and cutting the pattern is obtained. V i a g v Theblade itseltcan be readily produced at-- "small cost and canbe'repla'ced as necessary or desired.

' What I claim is: 5 7 1." In a device otthecharacter described,a

supporting member, an arm pivoted at one end to said membertormovementabout an axis'fixed relative thereto, a connecting member pivoted to theother end of the arm on *anaxis fixed relative thereto, the axesofthe"pivotal connections at the ends of the arm'* being parallel, a secondarm pivoted atone end to the connecting inemberon an axis per pendicularto the connection between said connecting member and the first arm, ahandle carried by the second arm at the other oo end thereof and heldthereby paralleltothe axis of theconnection between the first arm andthe connecting member, and a cutter-carried by the handle and free toturn about: the axis thereof, said cutter bei g; di pee}. centric-t0 thehandle; I

an arm pivoted at one end, a ise'cond arm of the-pivotal mounting of.the first arm; and a cutter carried by thezhandle andiree to turn; onthe axis thereof, said cutter being disposed eccentric to the handle.

. M 3. In a device ofthecharacterdescribed, a

clamp havingan upwardlyprojecting-stud, an arm having parallel sleevesat its ends,

one-.of the sleeves receiving said stud and seating upon the clamp, ayoke ha'v-ing '25125 shank mounted in'the' other sleeve, a 'second armpivoted at one end in'the-yokebnan axis perpendicular'to said'fsha'nk',the 'second arm having at its other endasleeve para'llel.

to the Shank o f y e', & handle 'sec'ured"'130 in the sleeve of thesecond arm, and a cutting blade carried by the handle for free turningmovement on the axis thereof and having a. cutting edge comprising apoint eccentric to the handle and adapted to penetrate the work.

4. In a device of the character described, a handle, a holder comprisinga slotted head having a neck mounted in the handle for free turningmovement, and a cutting blade having a reduced finger extending into theslot of the head and detachably secured therein, said blade beingdisposed to contact the work at a point eccentric to said neck.

5. In a device of the character described, a handle, a holder comprisinga slotted head having a neck mounted in the handle for free turningmovement, a cutting blade of substantially rhomboidal shape having areduced finger extending from its upper corner into said slot anddisposed substantially parallel to the cutting edge, said blade being sodisposed that the point thereof diagonally opposite to said fingercontacts the work, and means cooperating with the head for adjustablyand releasably securing the finger there-- 1n.

6. In a device of the character described, a handle, a holder mounted inthe handle for free turning movement, a blade of substantiallyrhomboidal shape, and means for adjustably securing the blade in theholder with its cutting edge inclined downwardly therefrom toward thework.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day ofOctober, 1928.

VINCENT V. COLBY.

